Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project - Fall 2013
Project Description
The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project (the “Project”) is a multifaceted program built around law students teaching the Constitution and moot court skills in local high schools. Project components include:
- a high school constitutional literacy course taught by teams of 2-3 law students,
- a 2-unit law school seminar for the law students teaching in the project, and
- pipeline activities for high school students with community service opportunities for law school students.
Founded in 1999 at American University’s Washington College of Law and named in honor of the late Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and William J. Brennan, Jr., the Project aims to broaden understanding of the Constitution, rights and responsibilities. The Project has since expanded to other law schools throughout the country. In spring 2012, Santa Clara Law’s first class of Marshall-Brennan Fellows began teaching.
Curricula
The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project has developed two engaging books: “We the Students: Supreme Court Cases for and about Students” and “Youth Justice in America.” “We the Students” highlights the 39 most important Supreme Court cases affecting the rights and responsibilities of students. “Youth Justice in America” exposes students to the criminal and juvenile justice systems and challenges them to think critically about how society deals with the problems of crime and punishment involving young people.
The law school seminar will feature guest speakers and contributions from Santa Clara Law Faculty. The Fellows learn classroom management techniques, pedagogical methods and master the "We the Students" and "Youth Justice" curricula.
Join a National Network of Marshall-Brennan Fellows:
Enroll in the 2-unit Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project seminar offered on Mondays at 4:10 p.m. and be available to teach two-hours a week for ten weeks in a local high school classroom.
The Project is administered by the Center for Social Justice and Public Service. For more information, contact Deborah Moss-West at dmosswest@scu.edu or (408) 554-2766.
